


I'm dreaming of a white Christmas with you

by philindas



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 18:54:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8929021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philindas/pseuds/philindas
Summary: Melinda goes home for Christmas after the events of the androids. She brings Phil with her.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ddagent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddagent/gifts).



> Merry Christmas Kelly! I was your Secret Santa, and I hope you enjoy this fic! I really enjoyed writing it. Title from White Christmas sung by Michael Buble, and the prompt was "Christmas, Melinda's family, snowed in".

She looks up at the soft knock at her door, and she’s unsurprised to find Phil standing hesitantly in the door, almost as if he was unsure if he was allowed. She just looks at him for a moment, and his shoulders relax as he steps inside, shutting the door behind him.

“Are you staying here for Christmas?” he asks in greeting, and she shakes her head, going back to packing the small bag settled on her bed.

“I’m going to Mom’s,” she answers, placing a few pairs of jeans in the bottom of the bag. “Dad’s hip is better, he’s flying there. I haven’t seen them in a while.”

There’s a pause, and she takes a breath.

“Do you want to come?” she asks, keeping her eyes on her packing.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude-”

“You know Dad would love to see you again,” she cuts Phil off, looking up at him. “And…I’d like you to come. I need to- to not be here, for a little bit. I think we both need to get away.”

Phil just looks at her in that way he does- silent, but with this light in his eyes like he was looking at her for the first time all over again. He nods then, lips curling into a soft smile.

“Okay. I’ll pack a bag,” he replies, and Melinda gives him a small quirk of her lips in return as she grabs her toiletry bag. He watches her go for a moment before he turns to leave, and Melinda feels a little lighter.

The LMD mess had changed something- it had been shifting before then, but the actual shift hadn’t occurred until AIDA had switched her with the Melinda android. Until Phil had opened that bottle with it. Had confessed his feelings to it. Had kissed it.

She knows they need this chance to be away- to not be here, to not be at SHIELD. To talk. To have a holiday that didn’t revolve around their jobs or their coworkers or the rest of the world. And she missed her parents- she missed home.

She takes a breath, looking at herself in the mirror- the bruise on her cheekbone is mostly faded now, and the cut at the base of her skull was nearly closed now. But she looked tired- didn’t think the circles under her eyes would ever fade at this point. And she knew her mother would make a comment about how thin she was- her ribs would more prominent than they used to be, she knew, but it had been a rough couple weeks.

She flicks the light off, placing the bag inside her travel bag and zipping it closed, looking around her still-sparse room. Phil doesn’t knock this time, just opens the door, and Melinda shoulders her bag. The plane is waiting in the bay for them, and the pilot doesn’t even bat an eye at two passengers rather than one.

Phil reads a book Daisy had gotten him for Christmas- Melinda had asked her if she wanted to come to her mother’s as well, but she’d replied with a faint blush that Fitzsimmons had invited her to Sheffield with them, to meet Jemma’s parents. So they’d parted with a hug, and Daisy had slipped two wrapped presents into her hands before she’d dashed off, embarrassed.

Phil had gotten the newest book in a thriller series he liked, and Melinda had gotten a blown-glass crane that was the most beautiful blue she’d ever seen. The crane was carefully placed on her bedside table, between a rare picture of her, Daisy, Jemma, and Bobbi that Trip had snapped nearly two years ago and an older picture of her and Phil with Natasha and Clint.

Melinda watches Phil reading- she knows he can tell because a faint flush crosses his cheeks, though his eyes don’t rise from his book. She smiles to herself a little, content to just watch the expressions he makes. It’s quiet, and peaceful, and the further they get from the Playground, the easier it feels to breathe.

After about two hours, they arrive in Pennsylvania- her father’s car is waiting for them, and Melinda’s shoulders relax. Phil carries their bags as Melinda embraces her father, taking a deep breath of his familiar scene of cologne and shoe polish.

“It is so nice to see you, Mellie,” her father says, cupping her cheeks. He frowns a little at the bruise on her cheek, thumb brushing over it gently. He looks over her shoulder, smiling. “And you brought Phillip! What a wonderful Christmas surprise.”

“Hello, Mr. May,” Phil says, shaking his hand when he extends it. “Glad to see you back on your feet.”

“My daughter exaggerates. I was fine,” he raises an eyebrow in a way that’s exactly like Melinda, and Phil smiles, following behind them to the car. “Lian will be pleased to see you, Phil.”

“I highly doubt that, but I appreciate you saying so,” Phil replies with a laugh, settling into the backseat. Melinda hesitates for only a moment before she settles beside him, buckling into her seatbelt. She reaches over, hand resting on Phil’s forearm momentarily and squeezing before she retreats, and Phil sends her a smile that warms her to her toes.

Her mother’s house is sparsely decorated, but Melinda can see the Christmas tree through the window, covered in lights, and she feels just the tiniest amount of holiday spirit fill her chest. Phil takes her bag before she can protest, and she rolls her eyes fondly as she helps her father up the front steps. The scent of food hits them the instant the warm air from inside flows out from the open door, and Lian May calls from the kitchen as they pile inside.

“Mama, I brought Phil,” Melinda says as she makes her way to the always-warm tea pot, pouring herself a mug and handing Phil one as well.

“Hello Phillip,” Lian says, nodding to him. “Glad to see you’re well.”

“And you as well, Mrs. May,” Phil replies, and Melinda can’t help but find it endearing that he hadn’t broken his Academy habit of calling her parents by their full names. It reminds her of the eighteen year old boy she’d brought home after her first semester at SHIELD, the two of them bright-eyed and eager to be the best agents SHIELD had ever seen. She still saw glimpses of that boy, even now, in the aging man- and those flashes made her remember the girl she’d been.

“You’ll have to share with Melinda- I do not have another spare room,” Lian tells him, and Melinda can tell Phil is about to protest, so she speaks up.

“That’s fine, Mama. We’ll go get settled,” she says, grabbing Phil’s arms and nearly dragging him out of the kitchen. He raises an eyebrow at her once they were upstairs in her bedroom, bags on the floor.

“Lin, I can sleep on the couch, it’s fine,” Phil starts, and Melinda shakes her head.

“I want you here,” the words leave her mouth reluctantly, but she means them- desperately. “It’s complicated, it’s messy but- but Phil I invited you here because you’re as much my family as they are.”

They don’t have time for this talk- not when her parents are downstairs, waiting for them to have Christmas Eve dinner. But Melinda can feel the words pressing against the back of her throat- can feel them trying to spill out. She’s spent so long holding them back- she’s exhausted by the strength she’s had to use to hide her feelings.

Phil steps forward- his hands are gentle as they cup her jaw, his synthetic hand lighting up where their skin touched. He brushes his thumb over the soft skin beneath her eyes, so tender it makes her knees weak.

“Melinda…” his voice is warm, wrapping itself around her and sinking into her bones- her first name is such a rarity from Phil that she treasures it every time. He starts to say something else when her mother calls from the kitchen.

“Qiaolian, dinner is ready!”

Together they sigh, and his forehead touches hers briefly before they part.

“Coming, Mama!” she calls back, sighing. “We’ll-”

“Finish this later,” Phil finishes, smiling. “I know.”

Melinda takes his hand as they leave the room, and it doesn’t make her want to flinch.

_

“The snow is really coming down now,” William remarks as he peers out the window, hands behind his back. Melinda settles in her chair, accepting the glass of wine from her mother with a smile as Phil sits across from her. “I hope you weren’t planning on leaving tomorrow night.”

“We have a few days off,” Melinda replies. “We’re not needed back on base until after the new year.”

“It will be nice to have you around the house,” Lian comments as she sits in her seat beside Phil while William settles in beside Melinda. “It’s been a long time, Qiaolian.”

“I know, Mama,” Melinda replies, sighing softly. William squeezes her shoulder gently before he lifts his glass.

“A toast. To family,” he starts, and winks at Phil before he continues. “We are blessed to be together, alive and healthy, this Christmas.”

“Amen,” Melinda says softly as they all clink their glasses, lifting her gaze to meet Phil’s and heart flooding at the warmth in his eyes. She smiles as her foot nudges his under the table before she picks up her fork, digging in. It’s been so long since she’d had a home cooked meal, and she’s missed her mother’s food.

“This is excellent, Mrs. May,” Phil comments, his plate nearly empty- Melinda’s reminded it’s been awhile since he’s had food not prepared in the Zephyr’s small kitchen as well. Lian bestows him with a rare smile, passing him the plate of greens.

“Eat up- you both look like you haven’t been fed properly in months,” she sniffs a little, eyes slipping to Melinda.

“Someone hasn’t been around to cook for me,” Melinda teases lightly, and Phil’s returning smile is tinged with sadness. She taps her toe on the top of his foot, letting him know it was okay, but he just gives her a shrug, reminding her Phil Coulson still took personal responsibility for her well-being.

William and Lian chat a little as they finish eating, and Phil offers to do the dishes. Melinda helps him collect the plates, setting everything on the counter while he starts running warm water and scrapping the leftovers into the garbage while she packs everything else into Tupperware.

They work in tandem, the soft noise of the record player starting in the background as Lian selects an old Christmas album, bickering softly with William about which one to play first. Melinda dries another dish, placing it in the cupboard before she turns to Phil, folding her arms.

“I don’t blame you, Phil,” she waits for him to look up at her, his blue eyes dark. “For anything. None of what happened is your fault, and I need you to stop blaming yourself for it.”

“I should have known,” he tries to start, and she shakes her head, taking a step closer. She places her hand on his bare forearm, his skin warm under her palm.

“The android was designed so you wouldn’t. That was AIDA’s plan all along. She used me because she knew I was your weakness,” her voice drops to a whisper as she swallows, looking up at him. “Just like you’re mine, Phil.”

She raises her free hand to his face, gently cupping his cheek and brushing her thumb along the bone there, lips quirking up into a tiny smile. “How can you still not realize how much I love you, Phil Coulson?”

His lips part, shock crossing his features before the most beautiful expression of joy fills his face. Melinda can’t help the small laugh that bubbles in her throat as Phil reaches for her, his hands still damp with dish water as he cups her face, lowering his mouth to hers. She sighs into the kiss, warm from head to toe as her hands grip his shirt.

“Sorry it took me so long,” he mumbles against her mouth, and Melinda shakes her head, hands cupping his cheeks.

“We’re right where we’re supposed to be,” she murmured, nose brushing along his sweetly. “We have time to be away from SHIELD together, we have time to figure this out. We have all the time in the world, Phil. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I love you,” he says it so freely her heart catches in her chest momentarily, stuttering back to pace as he looks at her, blue eyes open and warm. “I love you so much more than I could ever put into words.”

Melinda lets the smile overtake her face, reaching on her tiptoes to kiss him again, laughing against his mouth when her mother calls from the living room.

“Qiaolian do you and Phillip need help with the dishes? You are taking forever!”

“We’re nearly finished, Mama,” she calls back, brushing her thumb over Phil’s lower lip and stepping back, picking up her rag and clearing her throat. “Why don’t you get White Christmas out? If you start it now we should be there by the time you get to the DVD menu.”

Lian grumbles about using the DVD player while Melinda pushes at Phil’s shoulder until he picks up the last few dishes to clean. When they’ve finally finished ten minutes later, he pulls her into another searing kiss before they walk into the living room- William is in one armchair while Lian is in the other, leaving them with the couch.

Melinda settles into Phil’s side, uncaring about the questioning looks from both her parents, pillowing her head on his shoulder and keeping her eyes on the screen. The movie starts and they all turn their attention to the screen, losing themselves in the classic.

She feels Phil press a soft kiss to her hair and snuggles further into him, contentment washing through her veins. Maybe it was the Christmas spirit floating around, or maybe it was the mere freedom of allowing her feelings to be in the opening. But the weight her heart had been carrying for so many years felt lighter than she could ever remember.

“Merry Christmas, Phil,” she murmured into his shirt, feeling him smile.

“Merry Christmas, Lin,” he replied, thumb brushing against her hip under her sweater.

The snow continued to fall, promising to trap them in this safe haven for a few days, and neither of them had any desire for it to stop.

_

Lian May wasn’t one for sentimentality.  But when she walks into the living room Christmas morning and finds her daughter sound asleep on Phil Coulson’s chest, her face finally free of worry or pain or sadness, it only takes her a moment to snap a picture on her phone.

William would like to see it, anyway.


End file.
